Commencement and Honorary Degrees Committee

Mission:

The Commencement and Honorary Degrees Committee has the responsibility of seeking candidates for the Commencement speaker and for honorary degrees. The committee seeks nominations from the broader Carleton community. The committee deliberates on the recommendations, aiming for a lively and memorable Commencement Address, and presents nominations for honorary degrees to the faculty as a whole. Suggestions for either speakers and/or honorary degrees from trustees, faculty, staff, students, and interested persons may be referred at any time to the President of the College for possible consideration by the committee. Following approval from the faculty, the recommendations for honorary degrees are also presented to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, which must approve them.

Membership:

Faculty:
Two faculty members serve on this committee. Each is appointed by the Faculty Affairs Committee for a three-year term.

Staff:
The Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Parent Relations, the Director of College Communications, the Dean of the College, and the President of the College serve on this committee in an ex officio capacity.

Students:
Two students serve on this committee. Each is appointed by the Carleton Student Association.

Preferred Skills or Experience for Committee Members:
The committee does not require specific skills or experience.

Committee Work:

The committee works mostly during the fall and early winter, gathering recommendations, deliberating on, and suggesting a set of candidate nominations. The committee presents its findings to the faculty during its January or February meeting. For more information on honorary degrees please visit their website.

Updated Summer 2014

Procedure for Awarding Honorary Degrees

The responsibility of initiating a study of possible candidates for honorary degrees rests with the Committee on Honorary Degrees, which makes recommendations to the faculty as a whole. The recommendations are also presented to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, which must approve them. Suggestions from trustees, faculty, and interested persons may be referred at any time to the President of the College for possible consideration by the committee.

Nominations for honorary degrees should be presented with supporting data and be in the hands of the President of the College by the end of November for study by the members of the Honorary Degrees Committee. This committee should report its findings and recommendation to the faculty so that its recommendation can be presented to the trustees in February.

No honorary degree will be awarded in absentia.

Approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, April 16, 1987.